Donald Trump arrives in Beijing: President to tell China ‘get tough on North Korea threat’

A senior White House official said President Trump will ask Mr Xi to cut its financial links with Kim Jong-un’s regime to further pressure the hermit state into giving up its nuclear weapons programme.

The pair are set to meet just a day after the US leader issued a stark warning to dictator Kim, telling him “do not underestimate us, do not try us”.

Beijing is the North’s main ally and main trading parter, so any deal to convince tyrant Kim to stop pursuing more powerful nuclear weapons and avert a potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula will need China’s full support.

But Washington has previously accused Mr Xi’s government of shirking its responsibilities and not making good on its commitments to fully implement UN sanctions against the regime.

Mr Trump is also considering declaring North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism at some point during his 12-day East Asia trip, the official told reporters aboard Air Force One.